Downtown Scottsdale finally may see the redevelopment of arguably its biggest eyesore this coming fall.

A partially demolished building near Scottsdale and Camelback roads has sat dormant for the past seven years on the northeastern corner of Scottsdale and Shoeman Lane.

CF Waterfront Investments LLC owns the building, at 4443 N. Scottsdale Road, and another property approximately 130 feet east of it that was to be the site of architect Will Bruder’s Upton condominium complex. CF Waterfront also owns the Petite Maison restaurant property next door.

The city’s Planning Commission last month recommended City Council approval of rezoning to allow the partially demolished building to be redeveloped. The City Council is set to consider the proposal at its March 4 meeting.

The redevelopment project is referred to by the city as Delux Scottsdale.

The current zoning allows office and retail, while the proposed zoning would allow a mix of commercial and residential.

With approvals by the council and the Development Review Board, CF Waterfront Investments will proceed with its plans to demolish the building and replace it with a new structure with underground parking, a street-level restaurant, second-floor bar-lounge and single condominium residence on the third floor.

“So much depends on the city, but assuming in March we get City Council approval ... and then Development Review Board approval two months after that, probably in mid-summer we’ll submit for building permits,” said Blaine Brunson, who represents the owner. “So in the fall we’ll probably be under construction.”

Originally, the owner planned to open a high-end restaurant in the new building, but “that part of Scottsdale has changed so dramatically with the bars,” he said.

“We’re thinking maybe a nice, normal restaurant and then a completely separate bar, so there’s daytime activity and nighttime activity,” Brunson said. “I envision two separate entities with the names to be determined.”

As opposed to leasing space to a tenant, the property owner plans to operate the restaurant and bar/lounge, he said.

James Porter, Petite Maison’s chef, said he’s been waiting for the property to be redeveloped for a long time. The restaurant has been next door to the property for more than four years.

“We are definitely looking forward to the development of small business in downtown,” he said. “It’s a shame it’s taken so long, but we welcome our neighbors with open arms and are looking forward to the continual development of diversity in the downtown area.”

CF Waterfront Investments initially submitted a proposal to replace the partially demolished building with a taller, mixed-use development that included street-level parking, restaurant and office space, and one residential unit on the upper floors. The proposal asked the city to increase the maximum height to 65 feet from 36 feet.

The owner then planned to locate a street-level restaurant with sidewalk seating along Scottsdale Road and devote the upper floors to mixed use. The Upton site would then house a parking garage to provide parking for the redeveloped building.

Dan Symer, senior city planner, said the two properties could not be linked under one project, and parking as a primary use is not allowed on the Upton site under the current zoning district.

The current plan includes underground parking and is no longer is asking for additional height.

Symer said the proposed redevelopment will provide an “appropriate transition between the more intensive downtown regional uses on the north side of the Arizona Canal and the less intensive multiple use areas south of the canal.”

“Everybody wants that building gone and we’re going to make it happen,” Brunson said. “We’ve done everything the city’s asked, we’ve satisfied every demand, everybody’s on board.”

CF Waterfront Investments also is working on other projects in the downtown area, including the redevelopment of the former Upton site, which likely will include ground-floor retail with residential above; and the relocation of the The Lodge, a bar currently located at 4422 N 75th St. in the entertainment district.

The bar is being moved to a location on Drinkwater Boulevard to make way for Hewson Investment Group’s upcoming condominium complex.

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